Opposition leader’s aide detained in Venezuela
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Thursday intelligence agents had detained his chief of staff in a predawn raid, signalling that President Nicolas Maduro might be cracking down on the opposition’s challenge to his rule.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a post on Twitter on Thursday, called for Roberto Marrero’s immediate release and said “we will hold accountable those involved”.
The US has repeatedly warned Maduro not to move against Guaido.
Guaido invoked the constitution in January to assume the interim presidency after declaring Maduro’s 2018 re-election a fraud, and has been recognised by dozens of Western nations as the legitimate leader.
Maduro, who has overseen a dramatic collapse of the Opec nation’s economy, has called Guaido a puppet of the US and said he should “face justice”, but had not explicitly ordered his arrest.
“They have kidnapped @Robertomarrero, my chief of staff,” Guaido said on Twitter, adding that the Caracas residences of Marrero and opposition legislator Sergio Vergara had been raided before dawn.
“We do not know their whereabouts. They should be freed immediately,” he said.
“Look after the president,” Marrero said in a voice message sent to reporters by Guaido’s team, as he said agents were trying to enter his house.
Pompeo said on Twitter: “The US condemns raids by Maduro’s security services and detention of Roberto Marrero.”
Venezuela’s information ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Since January, Venezuelan authorities have arrested more than 1,000 people in connection with anti-government demonstrations, rights groups say.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Venezuelan security forces, backed by pro-government militias, had quashed peaceful protests with excessive force, killings and torture.